All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless
by DZ2
Summary: First, there were Dementors, then dictating advice and the Order. Now, they expect him to sit there, smile and wag his tail, his voice drowned out in the thunder? No, Harry will not be silent anymore: he has a voice and it's time they remember that. Grey Powerful Harry/Tonks
1. Don't Underestimate Me

All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to JK Rowling. I do not own Speechless or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to Walt Disney Records and the original creators. I do not own any other crossover references used in the story: all rights belong to their original creators. I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.

**Plot: **First, there were Dementors, then dictating advice and the Order. Now, they expect him to sit there, smile and wag his tail, his voice drowned out in the thunder? No, Harry will not be silent anymore: he has a voice and it's time they remember that.

**Author's Note: **So, this weird, but fun take on fifth year and beyond was actually inspired by something a good friend and loyal fan suggested about another piece of work. At the same time, listening to the song – _Speechless_ from Aladdin's live-action remake – made me think of how appropriate and perfect it is for Harry, _especially_ in OOTP. So, now we have a story and, hopefully, a fun adventure.

Anyway, as always, if you don't like it, don't read it.

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friend Winged Seer Wolf for helping to inspire me: my recommended reads are _Reclaiming the House of Black_ by Fairywm, _Aspirations_ by megamatt09, _Harry Potter and The Power He Knows Not Book 1 The Reluctant Champion_ by ACI100, _Dark Prince Rises_ by Ronin2106, _Who Dares Wins_ by OlegGunnarsson, _Dark Lord Potter Part 1 _by The Santi, _Breaking Point_ by Darth Wartriarr, _Harry Potter And The Summer Of Change_ by lorddwar, _His Loyal Pet_ and _To Date a Metamorph_ by Just a Lonely Lorekeeper, _Behind Blue Eyes_ by elmembrila, _Harry Potter and the Daft Morons_ by Sinyk, _Partners?_ By ReluctantSidekick and _Harry Potter and the Grim Heritage_ by shinobikarasu

**Key Pairing: **Harry/Tonks; Neville/Ginny; Ron/Luna

**Other Pairings: **To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/_Parseltongue_/

Chapter 1: Don't Underestimate Me

_Don't leave the house…_

_Don't do any more magic…_

_Be a good boy…_

_We can't say more…_

_Let Dumbledore handle it…_

_Stay where you are…_

_No matter what…__**do as we command and you'll be free to dance on our strings when we want you to soon enough**_

In Harry's mind, this might as well have been what the _advice_ of his friends and those who claimed to be there to look out for him had to say following the unexpected, horrifying, almost-fatal Dementor attack that had happened in Little Whinging. Only, instead of praise or compliments for saving his cousin's soul and defending himself against a _very_ unexpected enemy, he was expelled, punished, dictated and talked down to.

Not even the Dursleys said thank you, not that Harry expected them to.

However, add in the fact that his _friends_' only responses involved dictating messages of _advice_ and not so much as a whisper of worry, fear or even curiosity, Harry didn't know whether to be angry or just plain annoyed.

What he _did_ know was that he couldn't heed their advice.

After all, they might not be asking the question, but _he_ was definitely going to;

'What in Merlin's name were _Dementors_ doing in Little Whinging?'

As the thought and the question crossed his mind, Harry crumpled up the letters and _advice_ of his friends and tossed them into a nearby wastepaper basket before he threw himself onto his bed and buried his head in his pillows.

Gods, he was annoyed.

So annoyed, in fact that, unbeknownst to Harry, even as they hit his basket, the letters he scrunched up in fury and annoyance suddenly began smoking and slowly, but surely, burning away to nothing, leaving no trace they'd been there.

_**Speechless**_

A soft thud, followed by a smashing sound.

This was what roused Harry from his sleep as he found his unexpected bout of unconsciousness broken by a jolt across his senses, warning him of something that definitely _wasn't_ the normal, even for the nauseatingly dull and _way_-too-normal surroundings of Privet Drive.

Of course, what nobody else knew was that this instinct that tore Harry out of his sleep was actually honed and born of four years' worth, if not longer, of life-and-death encounters, unexpected adventures and dangers that _no_ child, least of all a fifteen-year-old boy like Harry, should have ever had to deal with.

Whether it was really born from the years of having to deal with Dudley and his pack of jackals _playing_ their game of Harry Hunting with him, or from telling him to avoid his Uncle whenever he was in a mood – which only happened on days ending in the letter y – or the four years' worth of trials, tests, tribulations and terrors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry didn't know.

All he knew was that he _had_ to be prepared.

Rolling off of his bed, as silently as he could manage, Harry snatched his wand from the table next to his bed as he slowly, cautiously, rose up from the ground, keeping his eyes, and his wand, trained on the door. Outside his door, he could hear muffled steps coming up the stairs, each of which sounded like more than just the three pairs of feet belonging to the Dursleys.

One of them even sounded _much_ heavier than his Uncle Vernon, which, were it not for the likes of Hagrid, Madame Maxime, Fluffy and fully-grown dragons, Harry might have said was impossible, but Harry still kept his wariness on high, even as he heard the steps stop outside his door.

For a moment, as he tightened his hold on his wand, Harry _thought_ he heard someone gasp with alarm and disbelief while another sound revealed a low, warning growl of a noise that was silenced by someone else.

'_Definitely_ not the Dursleys,' thought Harry, remembering how, just after he'd retreated to his room after the Dementor attack, Uncle Vernon had made sure Harry couldn't get away again by fixing and locking the locks and padlocks from three summers back to his bedroom door. This meant that whoever was on the other side could see the locks, as well as the bolted-down cat-flap, which _used_ to be used for passing meagre offerings of food to Harry, but now, to _teach the freak a lesson,_ Vernon had bolted it down and left Harry to starve.

As he heard a string of unintelligible arguments, as well as what sounded like cussing, Harry smirked to himself as, for the first time in his life, he _actually_ hoped that Tom Riddle, or even Lucius Malfoy or, better yet, Severus Snape was standing on the other side of the door.

After all, the latter had spent years believing Harry was a pampered prince while the middleman of the three had believed _he_ could intimidate Harry like Voldemort himself, but, thanks to the Muggles, Harry hadn't even blinked going up against Lucius Malfoy.

And as for Tom…

Who knows?

Maybe they _were_ more-alike than they thought.

As Harry savoured the thought of what his biggest enemies might do if and when they saw this, he heard a string of unlocking sounds coming from the latches, padlocks and bolts on the outside of his door before, to his curiosity, the bedroom door flew open with a flash of white light, revealing naught but darkness beyond.

For a moment, Harry wondered what sort of Death Eaters might be so morbidly-subtle, but, as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a female voice whisper through the darkness, "Very _clean,_ aren't they, these Muggles? It's unnatural!"

"Tonks, keep your voice down, for God's sake!" growled another voice, the sound of which only put Harry even more on the defensive, even as a small burst of light filled his eyes, revealing a lit wand, which revealed the two owners of the voices he'd heard.

One was someone whom he'd been learning from over the past year…or rather, someone who'd been impersonated by a Death Eater who'd taught Harry and his friends over the past year, but there was no mistaking that magical eye, the grizzled, scarred features, the large coat and, of course, the wooden staff and prosthetic metal leg – which Harry realised had to be the source of the heaviness on the stairs.

Alastor Moody – Ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent and the prisoner of the _fake_ Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor from the year before – was standing in the doorway of Harry's bedroom, his magical eye spinning while his real one was fixed on Harry.

Next to him, Harry also saw a young, attractive-looking young woman who could have been described as a girl in her late teens, if not early twenties, with oak-brown hair and narrow, but dark-coloured eyes that seemed to be the same colour as her hair; she was dressed in a suit of robes that looked like they'd seen some action, judging by the scorch marks and faded areas, indicating excessive force used to clean them up while it was her wand that was raised, looking around Harry's room.

"Oh, this is _much_ better, Mad-Eye," laughed the young woman, her voice low, but soft and, to Harry's amusement, slightly-juvenile in the way she talked, which, for some odd reason, made him think of his godfather.

This impression was only increased when the woman winked at him, though her wink _could_ have been described as flirtatious, as well as supportive and warm-natured, as she added, "Wotcher Harry; I have to say: the thought of how anyone can live with such _clean_ rooms is so wrong, it's insane, wouldn't you agree, Harry?"

"Uh…" Harry began.

"Tonks, I told you…" growled Moody, but before he could finish, the ex-Auror heard Harry clear his throat.

"Hey, hi, sorry to interrupt, but I've just got to ask: who the fuck are you and what are you doing in Privet Drive?"

"You _know_ who I am, Potter!" insisted Moody, earning a nod from Harry, though his look was sarcastic even as he addressed the man again.

"Oh, I do know who you are; but it's a nice try, _Moody,_ but the last guy who confronted me wearing your face tried to kill me and set me up to die in the Triwizard Tournament, so, if you want me to be sure that you are who you say you are, _prove it!_"

"_Revelio._"

To Harry's surprise, it was the brunette with Moody who answered his demand, casting a spell that covered Alastor in a large veil of magic, but, when the spell dissipated and Moody still stood there, the brunette smiled at Harry as she asked, "There; if this _wasn't_ my mentor and your Dad's scariest teacher, Alastor _Mad-Eye_ Moody, my spell would have revealed his true identity; does _this_ satisfy you, Harry?"

The revelation that his Dad had been trained by Moody was _definitely_ something Harry didn't know, but the fact that magic had been used to prove it too, it made him ease up just a little, even as he looked to the woman next to Moody, "All right, fine, but I still don't know _you_, Miss?"

"Tonks," said the woman.

"_Nymphadora_ Tonks, if you must know, Potter," added Moody, earning a scowl from the Tonks woman while, to Harry's surprise, as she scowled and gave Moody a deathly new meaning to the phrase _if looks could kill,_ the Tonks woman's eyes flashed dangerously while her hair turned a fiery, angry shade of red.

"_Don't…call me…Nymphadora!_" insisted the now-redhead, earning a slightly-worried look from Harry while, at the same time, he felt a modicum of pity and mutual agreement with the reason for the young woman's anger.

After all, what sane person would name their daughter _Nymphadora?_

As Harry looked from Tonks to Moody and back again, he kept his wand trained on them even as he asked, "I heard more than two pairs of feet coming up the stairs: who _else_ is with you, Moody?"

"Before we tell you that," argued Moody, his magical eye now fixed on Harry himself as he asked, "Why don't _you_ prove that you are who you say you are, Potter? After all…"

"I swear, if you scream this place down with that catchphrase of yours, I'll hex your lips shut, Mad-Eye!" snarled Tonks, earning a smirk from Harry before he watched as she turned her attention to the hall as she asked, "Anyone got any ideas for something that will confirm his identity?"

"What's your Patronus form, Harry?"

As soon as he heard that voice, Harry's eyes lit up while a look of delight and warmth crossed his face, even as a familiar green-eyed, scar-faced, copper-brown head of hair appeared behind Tonks, though this newcomer also revealed a wand that was trained on Harry, even as the young boy answered him. "It's a stag, which is the same form of the unregistered Animagus that belonged to my Father, James _Prongs_ Potter, and is also a spell _you_ taught me in my third year, Moony, which is the name that Dad and my godfather gave you because of your lycanthropy."

"It's him," said Remus, lowering his wand before, to Harry's delight, the elder man stepped past Moody and Tonks before he embraced his young cub fondly, earning a sigh of relief from Harry as Remus added, "Of course, you could have just asked _me_ to confirm it for you, Alastor: even a glamour or Polyjuice-changed wizard couldn't fool _my_ sense of smell!"

"Constant Vigilance, Remus," growled Tonks, earning a laugh from Harry at the way she made her voice sound all growly and gruff, just like Moody.

_How_ she did that, he didn't know, but at that precise moment, he didn't care.

Not when he knew he had one of his most-trusted friends and allies right there to help him out.

_**Speechless**_

The Order of the Phoenix.

That was the name told to Harry by Remus even shortly after they'd landed on the other side of a weird, but enjoyable flight from Little Whinging, each one of the flyers having been guided by Moody and other members of something called _The Advanced Guard_, consisting of a dark-skinned man named Kingsley Shacklebolt – whom Harry felt like he'd met before, but he couldn't remember where – as well as Moody, Tonks, Remus and an excitable man by the name of Daedalus Diggle, who Harry remembered seeing bow to him in a shop once.

Of course, the only other reason Harry learned of the name was because of an enchanted parchment Moody thrust into his hands, encouraging him to remember it before the Gryffindor boy had watched as a house appeared out of nowhere in between two others in front of him.

And this, as he was about to find out, was just the beginning.

_**Speechless**_

Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

A house that _reeked_ of unease and even dark magic, which made Harry wonder why _anyone_ would have any sort of group meetings in such a place, especially with such Light-sided witches and wizards. Even as he wondered about the truth of their destination, however, Harry also felt a sense of calm fill him as he remembered Remus' presence, as well as the sense of friendly, if not odd, familiarity he felt with Tonks, who winked at him in her flirtatious manner as she walked past him, heading for the kitchen of the house.

It was only when Harry followed her path, however, that his eyes widened with awed disbelief and slightly-tearful wonder when he caught a flash of yet another face he knew.

But this one was one he'd _wanted_ to see for well over a year now and now, right there, barely three feet in front of him, was that face and the owner.

Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, who looked up when Remus whispered something in his ear; as the grey eyes of the former prisoner of Azkaban met those of the Golden Prince of Gryffindor, Sirius smiled at his godson as he saw him standing there.

However, as soon as Sirius opened his mouth to address his pup, Harry's look of awe turned into one that could have been described as a mixture of alarm, disbelief, rage, annoyance and pure disdain when Molly Weasley stepped between the two, as though she was _guarding_ Sirius and keeping him and Harry apart.

"Harry!"

Even as she moved towards him, Harry's ire only grew when Molly _slammed_ the door behind her, before she advanced on him and hugged him, missing the flinch, as she usually did, when she nearly crushed Harry as she forced herself on him, "Good to see you…hmm…you're a bit peaky, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for dinner. Now, straight up the stairs; everyone's waiting for you."

Even as Harry opened his mouth to argue, Molly all-but clamped her hand over his mouth as she cut him off, "No, there's no time; now, straight up the stairs. First door on the left…and _do_ try and keep your voice down, dear; we don't want to wake anything."

Then, without so much as a word of explanation or the once-proud comforts of home and welcome Harry dimly recalled from his time in the Burrow, Molly more or less pushed Harry up the stairs, leaving him to make his way up towards the upper floors while she turned and moved back into the kitchen, again closing the door with an audible slam.

As Harry climbed the stairs, however, a dark, ominous feeling crept into his mind, whispering its words through him as he growled, "Who the hell does she think she is keeping me from my godfather and Remus? And what's with shoving me away like I'm not even meant to be here? And then there's that _damn_ crush of a hug; hasn't she remembered I don't _like_ to be touched by anyone I don't fully-trust?"

_**Speechless**_

With his mind lost in the ire that he felt swarming through him, Harry missed the presence of a House Elf on the first landing he walked onto, who seemed to be tending to a large, moth-eaten curtain while muttering under his breath.

However, when the elf saw Harry, he snapped to attention when a weak, elderly voice whispered to him from behind the curtain;

"Keep an eye on that one, Kreacher…he has power…true power…he is _not_ to be given your usual treatments of unwelcome filth to my house."

Even as he pulled the curtain straighter and made sure it was perfectly-preserved, the elf nodded once as he watched Harry walk past him, clearly unaware of the privilege he had just been given by the elf's unseen mistress.

"Kreacher understands, Mistress; Kreacher will let Mistress' Great Champion, Harry Potter, make himself at home."

_**Speechless**_

To his disbelief, Harry barely managed to step through the door indicated by Mrs Weasley before he was attacked by something that could only be described as a brown-haired missile, accompanied by a familiar – though, at that moment, _unwelcome_ – female voice that launched into one of her well-known and, again, right now, unnecessary tirades.

"Harry! Oh my god, we were so worried! We heard all about the Ministry: I've been reading up on exceptions to the law. They can't expel you for defending yourself; it's so terribly unfair!"

"Let the man breathe, Hermione," argued another familiar voice, this one male, but, as Harry heard it, he felt a smile touch his lips as he saw Hermione move aside, revealing Ronald Weasley, who looked as though he'd grown a few inches over the summer. He also seemed to be worried about something – Harry could only guess it was him – and, as he saw his best friend and honorary brother smile at him, Ron returned the smile before, walking over to Harry, he embraced him, first with a strong, brotherly handshake and then a firm, just as brotherly hug.

Unlike Hermione, and even his own Mother, Harry welcomed Ron's hug because it was one he _knew_ was one that had his best interests at heart.

True, Ron had suffered a _blip_ last year because of the Tournament, but ever since his apology – as nobody but Harry and Ron knew the redhead _had_ apologised, but only to Harry in the secrecy of their dorm – the redhead had returned to the brave, honourable spirit of magic whom Harry felt was someone he could trust to stand proudly at his side and be there for him.

As the two friends parted, Harry sniffed once before he looked around as he asked, "So, this is what you couldn't tell me about, was it?"

Even as Hermione opened her mouth to reply, however, Harry's head snapped back to his brother-in-all-but-blood when Ron frowned in confusion.

"What on earth are you talking about, mate? Both me _and_ the Twins have sent you letters telling you everything we _knew_ you'd want to know: are you saying you didn't get them or something? That's not possible, especially since we sent them with Hedwig…hey!"

Then, Ron's eyes widened as he spun around, frowning in renewed confusion as he saw something even Harry had only just noticed;

"Where _is_ Hedwig? I would have thought she'd be here waiting for you as she always is whenever you're leaving those Muggles?"

As Harry silently agreed with his friend's remarks, especially the part about wondering where Hedwig could be, he also noticed something else that was off with the picture.

And that something was the smug, if not proud look that was plastered all over the face of Hermione Granger.

Before Ron could say anything or do anything to stop him, Harry knocked his best friend aside, his wand already in hand as he pointed it at Hermione, his green eyes flashing dangerously as he looked at her, "What have you _done?_"

"What are you talking about, Harry?" asked Hermione, the smug look Harry had noticed now replaced by one of confusion and alarm, "I _know_ you're angry about us keeping you out of the way, but you have to understand: it was all on Professor Dumbledore's advice and…"

"Where is my owl, Hermione?" asked Harry, his voice growing steadily louder as he growled, "Ron might not have noticed it, but I saw that smug smirk on your face: you _know_ something, and I'd bet it's not just about Ron's missing letters. Now, I'll ask you one more time: _where_ is Hedwig?"

"I don't know!" exclaimed Hermione, looking to Ron as she asked, "Are you just going to stand there and let him attack me, Ronald? For Merlin's sake: can't you see this is all clearly because of the Dementors and because you never sent him any messages? Harry's gone mad with PTSD and now he sees me as an enemy; stop him!"

"You never sent one?"

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened as Ron turned to her, his eyes darkening even as he stood next to his best friend, glaring daggers at Hermione, who fumed, "What?"

"You said _you_ never sent him one, meaning me," said Ron, slowly shaking his head as he asked, "How would you _know_ I never sent him one, Hermione? The Twins and I _always_ made sure we knew what we were doing: I mean, they even had Sirius' help keeping it from Mum, Dumbledore and, especially, _you!_ We were even going to use another owl before Sirius assured us that Hedwig was the best choice…but we've only ever seen her, not you, so how can you know _I_ never sent him one, which I did?"

Hermione opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, trying and failing to make heads or tails of what she was hearing.

However, before the brunette could utter as much as a syllable, Harry's wand was aimed at her face again, his eyes shining like the Killing Curse while his expression was one that looked like thunder and lightning made flesh, both of them battling their eternal war in the glare he sent her as he snarled like a sleeping dragon tickled.

"What have you _done_ to my owl, Hermione Granger?"

"Harry, I…you…it's not what it looks like…Dumbledore, he…he said it was for the best…I did what was right…you need to understand the risks…"

"Says the girl who held the power to travel through _time_ just for lessons?" asked Harry hotly, his voice again growing steadily louder as he asked her, "You know, I thought you'd _actually_ lost that insufferable know-it-all-ness in you, but…but you _never_ changed, did you? What was the promised reward for harming my owl? Keeping my _true_ friends from me? Tell me, Granger: what blood money was promised to you for betraying _everything_ I've done for you?"

"What? Causing me to lose out on lessons and drop my grades because I'm busy trying to save you from death _again?_"

"You HYPOCRITE!" Thundered Harry; as he did so, even Ron gasped when a white burst of magic flew out of Harry's wand, striking Hermione in a manner that made Ron realise his friend had, somehow, just cast a non-verbal Knockback Jinx.

At the same time, Harry's proverbial dam of emotional restraint proved it was now was well-and-truly broken as he snarled, "YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SAVING SOMEONE? HOW ABOUT THE TROLL? WHO RISKED HIS NECK, HIS HEALTH AND EVEN HIS LIFE FOR _THAT?_ WHO CONVINCED RON TO HELP HIM SAVE YOU BECAUSE YOU WENT RUNNING LIKE A SILLY LITTLE GIRL BECAUSE THE BIG KIDS WERE MAKING JOKES LIKE _KIDS_ DO?"

"Bullying is bullying!"

"Oh, trust me, I know a thing or two about bullies, Granger, and what _we_ did wasn't even the tip of the iceberg of bullying, let alone the first snowflake to settle on that tip," growled Harry, clenching his fists tightly as he asked, "So what _else_ shall we talk about? How about how _you_ ran off, without help or support, to your _home_ in the library just because you _had_ to be right about the Basilisk? Tell me, you nightmare: where was that _brightest witch of her age-_ness then?"

"At least I figured it out: you were just being an idiot, as you _always_ were without me! I can't believe I ever thought _you_ could be a great wizard; not when you're being a stupid prat who clearly wants to _die,_ but not before he has me to pull him out of it!"

Even as she said it, Hermione's hands flew to her mouth as Harry stood there, stock-still, his hands still clenched into fists while his eyes were less-glowing and more cold, hard and flint-like, the emerald in them now like a blend of the Basilisk's stare and the emerald colour of the Killing Curse.

"So," said Harry, his gaze meeting Hermione's as he asked, "After _everything_ I risk for you, all the sacred rules I risk breaking, all the sagely advice of that senile old _bastard,_ Albus Dumbledore I ignore, just to save you and the other ignorant _twats_ out there!"

"Harry, watch your language!"

"Oh, why don't you just go and stitch up that hole in your habit, Sister Granger?" growled Harry, throwing his hand towards the door, which, to Ron's surprise, flew open, as though obeying Harry's whims, even as the green-eyed Gryffindor snapped at Hermione. "Go on: do us all a favour and get out of my sight! But, before you go, just know this: I will find my owl and I will learn the truth about why you saw fit to betray everything that I thought our friendship meant, all on the words of that old fool who couldn't even protect you, let alone his school, without a _boy_ there to do the work for him. And, if I find you've done _anything_ to harm my first and _real_ best friend, your pathetic _books_ won't save you from what I do to you!"

To Ron's outrage, Hermione actually lifted her head high, as though she thought she held the high ground.

Once the brunette was gone, Harry turned to Ron before he asked in a _very_ low, if not ice-cold tone of voice, "This is your _one_ and only chance, Ronald: I forgave you before because you promised me you would never let anything come between our friendship again. So this is the one and only time I ask it…"

To Ron's fear, Harry lifted his wand again, so that it was now aimed between Ron's eyes, as he asked, "Who _are_ you, really? A true friend and a brother-in-all-but-blood or just someone _else_ here at the whims of a fool who, clearly, thinks he can make people keep me at arm's length?"

Ron didn't even hesitate.

"I am, and always will be, your friend, Harry James Potter," said the redhead, drawing his own wand from his pocket before, to Harry's surprise, he turned it around so that he offered the hilt to Harry as he added, "And if you want me to prove it to you, then, here: you take my wand and keep hold of it until you _know_ you can trust me to be armed around you. I failed our friendship once and, you're right, I _did_ promise you, on the graves of your parents, no less, I swore that I would never let it happen again, so that's my answer."

To Ron's surprise, Harry's wand hand trembled before he dropped his wand to the ground, though not before Harry fell to his knees.

Doing the only thing he could think of doing, Ron ran to Harry's side, crouching down so that he could help console his best friend, letting him tremble in fear and pain, as well as rage, at the betrayal that had come to light.

"Let it go, mate," Ron whispered, holding onto Harry as though he was there to be the only life-preserver Harry had left, though Ron knew, and silently vowed, he would always be more than that.

He was a friend, a brother, an ally and a sword – and even shield – to the unofficial Prince of Gryffindor and the greatest wizard in Hogwarts, bar none, first and foremost.

Everything else, even his place as a Weasley or someone who was _meant_ to believe in the greatness of false idols like Albus Dumbledore and even the Ministry of Magic, came second.

Harry was first for Ron.

Harry's wellbeing, his friendship, his strength and even his sense of knowing he could _be_ Harry whenever he wanted to be.

All these things were first for Ron, which was why, for now, he just held onto his trembling friend as he comforted him in his hour of need;

"Let it go…and don't worry, because we'll find out what happened to Hedwig, and the truth, and, whatever happens, I'll be here by your side…to the very end; you have my word."

**So, a bit of an emotional – **_**over-emotional? Maybe; do I care? Nah**_** – beginning and it looks like more than just the truth is starting to come to light, but can Harry **_**really**_** recover from this betrayal at a time when he needs friends and allies most?**

**Also, what could have happened to Hedwig and if Ron and the Twins tried sending **_**real**_** information, who or what was responsible for the dictating, crack-the-whip scribbles Harry received?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: Harry might have let his sleeping dragon be tickled, but if they think they can lull it back to sleep, they're in for a nasty surprise, especially that overbearing matriarch who thinks she can **_**ever**_** replace the bravest person in Harry's life;**

**Please Read and Review**

_**AN: Inspiration**_

**So, a lot of you might find this unnecessary, but that's why I thought I'd put it here at the end of the chapter; anyway, here are the lyrics to the song referenced in the disclaimer and AN at the top of this story: see if you agree they're perfect for Harry, no matter what might happen next;**

_**Here comes a wave  
Meant to wash me away  
A tide that is taking me under  
Swallowing sand  
Left with nothing to say  
My voice drowned out in the thunder**_

_**But I won't cry  
And I won't start to crumble  
Whenever they try  
To shut me or cut me down**_

_**I won't be silenced  
You can't keep me quiet  
Won't tremble when you try it  
All I know is I won't go speechless**_

_**'Cause I'll breathe  
When they try to suffocate me  
Don't you underestimate me  
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless**_

_**Written in stone  
Every rule, every word  
Centuries old and unbending  
Stay in your place  
Better seen and not heard  
But now that story is ending**_

_**'Cause I**_

_**I cannot start to crumble  
So come on and try  
Try to shut me and cut me down**_

_**I won't be silenced  
You can't keep me quiet  
Won't tremble when you try it  
All I know is I won't go speechless  
Speechless**_

_**Let the storm in  
I cannot be broken  
No, I won't live unspoken  
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless**_

_**Try to lock me in this cage  
I won't just lay me down and die  
I will take these broken wings  
And watch me burn across the sky  
Hear the echoes saying I**_

_**Won't be silenced  
Though you want to see me tremble when you try it  
All I know is I won't go speechless  
Speechless**_

_**'Cause I'll breathe  
When they try to suffocate me  
Don't you underestimate me  
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless**_

_**All I know is I won't go speechless**_

_**Speechless**_

**So, what do you think? Appropriate? I certainly think so; anyway, let's see how else the words of this song helped inspire this story.**

**And you know how to do that, right?**

**Keep reading to find out…**


	2. A Talk Between Friends

All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless

**Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friend Winged Seer Wolf for helping to inspire me: my recommended reads are _Reclaiming the House of Black_ by Fairywm, _Aspirations_ by megamatt09, _Harry Potter and The Power He Knows Not Book 1 The Reluctant Champion_ by ACI100, _Dark Prince Rises_ by Ronin2106, _Who Dares Wins_ by OlegGunnarsson, _Dark Lord Potter Part 1 _by The Santi, _Breaking Point_ by Darth Wartriarr, _Harry Potter And The Summer Of Change_ by lorddwar, _His Loyal Pet_ and _To Date a Metamorph_ by Just a Lonely Lorekeeper, _Behind Blue Eyes_ by elmembrila, _Harry Potter and the Daft Morons_ by Sinyk, _Partners?_ By ReluctantSidekick and _Harry Potter and the Grim Heritage_ by shinobikarasu

**Key Pairing: **Harry/Tonks; Neville/Ginny; Ron/Luna

**Other Pairings: **To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**The Wandmaker: I'll only say this much as a clue: occam's razor;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: The only way a hero who originally hit rock bottom can go, my friend: up!**

_He was a friend, a brother, an ally and a sword – and even shield – to the unofficial Prince of Gryffindor and the greatest wizard in Hogwarts, bar none, first and foremost. _

_Everything else, even his place as a Weasley or someone who was meant to believe in the greatness of false idols like Albus Dumbledore and even the Ministry of Magic, came second._

_Harry was first for Ron._

_Harry's wellbeing, his friendship, his strength and even his sense of knowing he could be Harry whenever he wanted to be._

_All these things were first for Ron, which was why, for now, he just held onto his trembling friend as he comforted him in his hour of need_

Chapter 2: A Talk Between Friends

By the time Harry managed to calm himself down again, Ron had left his friend to vent his frustrations, his pains and the truths of the betrayals that had been put on him while he went and informed the _necessary parties_ that Harry was here.

Of course, by necessary parties, that meant Fred, George and Ginny, the first two of whom made Ron a solemn promise that they would turn Grimmauld Place inside out and upside down if they had to, if it meant finding Hedwig and reuniting Harry with his beloved friend. As for Ginny, she was thankful to Ron for the warning about Hermione, though she _did_ ask her brothers why they hadn't involved her in their plans to keep Harry in the loop, especially since she owed Harry her life, which meant one thing for the youngest child.

She couldn't betray Harry if she tried.

Once he'd apologised to Ginny and, on behalf of his best mate and their honorary brother, he thanked her for remembering where her loyalties truly laid, Ron returned to his bedroom to find Harry sitting there, staring blankly at the far wall with one knee curled to his chest and his posture otherwise calm and relaxed. Nearby, Ron saw Harry's possessions stacked up next to the emerald-eyed scion's bed, the open lid suggesting that Harry had gone through it, making sure everything was there and, judging by the way Harry smiled, albeit weakly, at Ron, it looked like he'd found it to his satisfaction.

Closing the door behind him, Ron cleared his throat before he explained, "I've managed to get the Twins on the search for Hedwig."

"Good," said Harry, clenching his right hand into a fist while he toyed with his wand in his left hand, juggling it like a baton between his fingers as he mused, "I swear to you, Ron: if she's been harmed by that…that _witch,_ I will not be merciful. I mean, deciding to keep me out of the loop because _Saint Dumbledore_ says so, I can understand, forgive, even. But if she's taken that as an excuse to ensnare, harm and even weaken or injure my owl, who is my first, true and _dearest_ friend, then, I swear to you, all bets will be off!"

"I believe you," said Ron, moving to sit on his own bed, which was opposite Harry's, while he added, "But don't worry, mate: if anyone can find her, it's those two who make Sirius and Remus' old gang look like rank amateurs."

"Don't let Sirius hear you say that," drawled Harry, looking up at Ron with a coy smile before he added, "I _know_ he's here, by the way; I saw him. But only for a moment before your Mum decided to stick her oar in: I mean, from the décor and the dark surroundings, I can guess this house actually belongs to Sirius, right?"

"Yes," answered Ron, indicating the room around them as he smiled before he explained, "It's his family old townhouse and one of the two main places where the family _used_ to gather before Sirius' Mum, Walburga Black, sort of went off the rails. I mean, she actually tried disowning Sirius because he was Gryffindor _and_ friends with your Mum."

"I never knew that," said Harry, earning a shrug from Ron.

"Yeah, well I only knew it because Sirius gave me the guided tour himself," explained Ron, pointing upwards as he added, "There's even an attic room here where he's got Buckbeak secure; of course, no-one, _but_ Sirius goes up there, except for Remus, if he's ever here on…you know…one of his bad nights?"

"I guess if anything can keep watch over a werewolf, even one under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion, it's a Hippogriff," muttered Harry, before both boys let out laughs at the idea of Remus' other half going toe-to-toe with Buckbeak.

Letting his wand rest next to him, Harry sniffed once before he asked, "So, I know _where_ I am, but what's with the escort and everyone down there? I mean, Moody, that Tonks girl, Remus, Sirius, your Mum and, probably, your Dad too, right?"

"They're all part of the Order of the Phoenix," said Ron, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry while Ron cleared his throat as he explained, "Think of them as Dumbledore's answer to the Death Eaters, but without the _let's-murder-everyone_ mindset and the Dark Mark; there used to be a lot more of them back in the first war, including my Mum's brothers and even Neville's parents, not to mention…well…um…"

"_My_ Mum and Dad," said Harry, earning a slow nod from Ron while his ears turned red, even as Harry smiled before he sighed as he let his gaze linger on the wall again while he explained, "I figured _that_ out when I saw Sirius _and_ Remus both here; I mean, apart from trying to look out for me, why else would they join such a group?"

"And Dumbledore's the leader."

"Of _course,_ he is," drawled Harry, letting his gaze drift to the ceiling before he asked, "What about Arabella Figg? She's a Squib, not that I ever knew _that_ about her, who was there on his orders; do you think she's part of this?"

"I don't know," admitted Ron, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained, "We…we never really get to be a part of the meetings, not even _her;_ Mum's always shooing us off, making us clean up some of the rooms around here, but, personally, I think it's just an excuse to get us to clear out most of the bad stuff in this house, not that we get a chance with that weird elf, Kreacher, skulking about and Mum breathing down our necks."

"And let me guess," added Harry, looking back to his best friend as he smiled wryly, "At your Mum's suggestion, Miss Know-it-All got put in charge of the study or library in this place?"

"Bingo," said Ron, scoffing once before he added, "It wouldn't surprise me, you know?"

"What?"

"What you're thinking," said Ron, tapping his head for emphasis as he smiled slyly. "It wouldn't surprise me to learn she's tried stealing some of the books away, either to keep them for herself, keep them from you or use as an excuse to _clear out_ the unwelcome stuff. Mind you, I _have_ noticed her going to bed with a few burns on her hands sometimes and, last week, she got in a heated argument with Sirius about cursed objects, but he just waved her off and told her she deserved it."

"So, even Sirius sees the true colours," said Harry, letting his hands rest behind his head as he leaned backwards, once again looking up at the ceiling as he smiled fondly. "Good old Padfoot: at least I know he won't jump on the bandwagon."

"Sirius would sooner _die_ than betray you, least of all on Dumbledore's word," argued Ron.

As Harry nodded in agreement, however, he suddenly sat bolt upright when a soft pop filled the room; as Harry went for his wand out of nothing more than sheer instinct, his aggressive, defensive nature died instantly when he saw what had caused the popping sound.

There, standing in front of him, both of them smiling like the Cheshire Cat and the Grinch combined, were Fred and George Weasley, the latter of whom didn't even wait before he tossed what he was holding into Harry's waiting arms, even as Fred drew his wand and, flicking it once, he opened a lock on the object, allowing a white-feathered bundle to fly out of the object – a rusty, metal cage – and onto Harry's shoulder.

"HEDWIG!" Cried Harry, the joy and delight evident in his voice, even as he reached up, letting his arm wrap itself around his owl while she preened his hair and nipped at his ear in an affectionate manner that only she knew. While Harry felt new tears well up in his eyes, he looked back to the Twins, both of whom saw fit to join Ron on his bed, though not before Fred wiped a stray, non-existent tear from his eye, even as Harry stammered out his thanks before he asked, "Thank…thank you, guys; this…this is amazing. Where…where was she?"

"Where would that bitch hide her, we asked ourselves," replied Fred, linking his hands together before he smiled slyly.

"Where would _she_ go that she would delude herself into thinking we couldn't…_wouldn't_ follow, we asked ourselves," added George, earning a scoff from Harry at the typical mannerisms of the Weasley Twins, both of whom _knew_ how much Hedwig meant to him and, from what Ron had told him, both of whom were also firmly on Team Harry and _not_ Team Dumbledore's-Kiss-My-Ass-Club.

As for Ron, he shook his head as he asked, "You mean she was keeping Hedwig in the bloody library? Even _Sirius_ would have looked there first."

"Yes," agreed Fred, looking back to Harry before he waved his wand in a mocking, but amusing manner as he explained, "But, unlike Granger, who clearly scoured the place for a hiding slot or cache to stuff your lovely lady there, Harry, _we_ can use magic. And, while you two were talking down here, we went with our guts, and our knowledge of how _busy_ she's been lately, and we went with door number one."

"And that's not all we found in there either," added George, reaching into his pocket as he explained his point, "It seems our little bookworm has turned into something more than a lioness with no sense of loyalty…check it out."

As he said the last part, George tossed another item to Harry; when he caught it, Harry found he was holding what _looked_ like a small pouch, which seemed to be made from moke skin, if Harry remembered his times seeing and hearing about such items. As he held the pouch in his hand, however, Harry looked up just in time to see George draw his wand, before he aimed it at Harry.

"_Surgito._"

At George's command, a faint red hue surrounded the pouch before, to Harry's surprise, it grew in size, but only enough that it seemed to revert to its normal size, which was no larger than a cash bag used for spare change, or a bum bag. Opening the pouch, Harry turned it upside down without needing any further insistence or clues from the Twins before, to his outrage, what could have been described as a _travel library_ fell out of the bag.

No less than twenty differently-sized books, each one made of a different material and covering to the one before and after it, fell out and landed on Harry's bed with an audible thump. As if that wasn't enough, Harry also saw a small blue notepad and, to his absolute disbelief, what _looked_ like a spare wand, which rolled into Harry's fingertips as he let the now-empty pouch fall onto the bed.

Lifting the wand, which seemed to hum and even yield to his very touch, Harry frowned as he mused, "This isn't Hermione's wand."

"Well, it's no secret that Sirius' family has collected _hundreds_ of wands over the centuries," explained Fred, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry while the Twin went on, "Spoils of war from conquered foes, I guess; we found whole boxes full of them while _cleaning_ out the other rooms, but, weirdly, they always seemed to vanish before Mum or anyone else could check them out."

"Kreacher," said Harry.

To the shock of the Weasley Trio, as soon as he said the elf's name, another pop announced the arrival of a disgruntled-looking elf dressed in a tight robe and with a seemingly-permanent dour look on his face. And yet, while the Weasleys tensed up, as though sensing some impending badness or foul language from the elf, Harry watched as Kreacher turned before, to the surprise of the Weasleys, Kreacher _bowed_ to Harry.

"Master Harry summons Kreacher?"

"_Master?_" asked Fred and George in unison, earning a scowl from Kreacher.

"Filthy blood traitors poison my Mistress' home with half-breeds and Mudbloods…oh, my poor Mistress, if she knew…"

"Kreacher, stop that!" snapped Harry, admittedly, before he _could_ stop himself from saying anything else.

However, surprisingly, Kreacher obeyed, looking back to Harry, even as the young wizard told him, "If…if _I_ am your Master, then…then I order you to treat my friends with respect and…and if you _are_ the one whose been rescuing the items belonging to the Blacks, then…then you can keep up the good work, but you _cannot_ insult these three, nor their sister, Father, Remus Lupin and, _definitely _not Sirius Black, understand?"

"Master commands, Kreacher obeys," said the elf, earning dumbfounded looks from the Weasleys before Harry sighed softly.

"All right then; next question, what can you tell me about this wand?"

Handing the wand to Kreacher, who inspected it for only a moment, Harry was surprised to hear what could only be described as a wailing cry of torment tear out of Kreacher before he gasped, "No…it cannot be…how did it come back to Kreacher? Kreacher feared its loss for _so_ long! Kreacher ironed his _ears_ for failing to protect it…and the master whom wielded it! How is it here again?"

"What is it, Kreacher?" asked Harry, earning a sad, but also blissfully-honoured and obedient look from Kreacher as he returned the wand to Harry, who frowned as he asked, "What do you know about this wand?"

"Master Harry holds a wand that is made of larch wood with a core that is both Occamy scale and thunderbird feather," replied Kreacher, earning a surprised look from Harry as he eyed the wand again, though not before Kreacher practically wept tears of joy, or perhaps mourning, as he told Harry what else he knew.

"It was the wand that chose Kreacher's beloved master Regulus as its bearer…and now, it has chosen Master Harry; Kreacher…Kreacher is _so_ pleased to serve and see his Master reborn again, sir…please, Master Harry, promise Kreacher that Master will use it well…_please,_ Master? Kreacher will never speak foul of any of Master's guests ever again for this, sir; _please_ promise?"

"You have my word, Kreacher," said Harry; as he did so, he gasped when a few silver sparks flew from the end of the wand, as though his magic was acknowledging the vow for what it was.

At the same time, however, Harry frowned as he asked, "But…but can you tell me, Kreacher: Regulus. Who was he?"

"He was my brother."

Suddenly, even Kreacher jumped when Harry looked up to see Sirius standing in the doorway to the bedroom, his eyes wide with awe, wonder and no small amount of amused disbelief, even as he looked from the wand in Harry's hand to his godson himself. "He was murdered by Voldemort for betraying him, so they say, but now, from the looks of things, his legacy lives on in you, pup…that's interesting."

While Harry swallowed hard, Sirius drew himself up as he added, "Ah well, keep it, Harry; something tells me it'll serve you well. Anyway, come on, you kids; the meeting's over and it's time for dinner."

"Kreacher will prepare a feast fit for kings and princes, Lord Black!"

Even as Sirius stared in dumbfounded disbelief, Kreacher vanished, leaving Harry to store the books he'd found in the bag under his bed, with his now-locked trunk – thanks to Regulus, now _his_ wand giving him the freedom to use magic in the house – before he turned to look at Sirius, who could only laugh as he looked back to his godson.

"That's the first time he's _ever_ acknowledged my place as head of this family without sniping about it…and I have _you_ to thank for it, pup."

**Chapter 2 and, blimey, it looks like Harry's cut off the head of the snake before it has a chance to poison his life any further, but with a weapon in hand, a faithful advocate in Kreacher and the Demons of Gryffindor in his corner, can he face the rest of the vipers' nest and emerge victorious?**

**Also, what will Harry, or maybe Sirius, have to say about the insufferable know-it-all thinking they won't notice her five-fingered discount, not to mention wielding a wand that was never hers, much less belonging in the hands of a silly little girl?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: In the red corner, the sleeping dragon tickled, Harry Potter: in the blue corner, the overbearing matriarch who thinks she can bark and he will obey: Molly 'The Banshee' Weasley: seconds out, Round One! Ding Ding!**

**Please Read and Review**


	3. There Is No Light and Dark

All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless

**Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friend Winged Seer Wolf for helping to inspire me: my recommended reads are _Reclaiming the House of Black_ by Fairywm, _Aspirations_ by megamatt09, _Harry Potter and The Power He Knows Not Book 1 The Reluctant Champion_ by ACI100, _Dark Prince Rises_ by Ronin2106, _Who Dares Wins_ by OlegGunnarsson, _Dark Lord Potter Part 1 _by The Santi, _Breaking Point_ by Darth Wartriarr, _Harry Potter And The Summer Of Change_ by lorddwar, _His Loyal Pet_ and _To Date a Metamorph_ by Just a Lonely Lorekeeper, _Behind Blue Eyes_ by elmembrila, _Harry Potter and the Daft Morons_ by Sinyk, _Partners?_ By ReluctantSidekick and _Harry Potter and the Grim Heritage_ by shinobikarasu

**Key Pairing: **Harry/Tonks; Neville/Ginny; Ron/Luna

**Other Pairings: **To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Danyael Prince: I think she was in **_**Aspirations**_** by megamatt09;**

**Winged Seer Wolf: I hope this chapter has a little something along what you had in mind, my old friend;**

**Chaos Snow Kitsune: Yeah, from here on in, she has a more-prominent role that, over time, will grow to a proper relationship with our hero, so keep reading to find out what I have planned;**

"_Kreacher will prepare a feast fit for kings and princes, Lord Black!"_

_Even as Sirius stared in dumbfounded disbelief, Kreacher vanished, leaving Harry to store the books he'd found in the bag under his bed, with his now-locked trunk – thanks to Regulus, now his wand giving him the freedom to use magic in the house – before he turned to look at Sirius, who could only laugh as he looked back to his godson._

"_That's the first time he's ever acknowledged my place as head of this family without sniping about it…and I have you to thank for it, pup."_

Chapter 3: There Is No Light and Dark

Cramped.

Even by Harry's standards, having lived in a cupboard under the stairs and the smallest bedroom in Number Four, not to mention all the small spaces he'd had to use to hide from Dudley over the years, it was safe to say that Grimmauld Place's kitchen was _definitely_ cramped.

And yet, somehow – magic, Harry guessed – it was able to comfortably – but only _just_ – seat Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Arthur Weasley, the Tonks girl, Hermione, Molly Weasley and, to Harry's surprise, Alastor Moody, who seemed to be there for security purposes, judging by how he lurked over Harry and Sirius' shoulders – both of them having taken seats at the top end of the table.

Before Harry even managed to sit down, however, he was made the centre of attention when Hermione gasped at the sight of Hedwig on her master's shoulder, "What are you doing with _her?_ You're not allowed to have her, Harry."

"And is that Dumbledore's will or just your hidden kleptomania, _Granger?_" asked Harry, intentionally using the girl's last name to show how annoyed he was with her, which wasn't much more than he already was because of everything she'd said upstairs already.

While Hermione opened and closed her mouth like a startled goldfish, Harry looked to Sirius as he added, "By the way, Sirius; me, Ron and the Twins found a _stash_ of books from the library in some weird bag thing _she'd_ been keeping for herself."

"_That's_ stealing!" insisted Hermione, earning a scoff from Harry, Ron and Ginny, while Molly suddenly looked somewhere between annoyed and curious, even as Hermione went on, "Besides, Mrs Weasley told me to get rid of anything that might be dark or dangerous: I'm sure _Ginny_ can tell you what damage a silly little book can do."

"I don't know what's funnier," said Harry in a matter-of-fact voice, petting Hedwig while he told Hermione, "Hermione Granger trying to take the high ground about stealing when she's been caught doing the same, or Hermione Granger calling a book silly and little."

"Also," said Sirius suddenly, his eyes now fixed on the opposite end of the table, where Molly was busy cutting up potatoes, as he asked, "What right do you _think_ you have telling anyone they can remove anything from _my_ home, Molly? Just because you've been assigning the kids _cleaning duties,_ and I use the term loosely, it does not make you the master of this house. That title lands solely on _my_ shoulders, and, if not me, then something tells me it belongs to this handsome young pup sitting next to me."

_**Speechless**_

Even as Harry smiled with a mixture of pride and warmth at Sirius' remark, however, out of the corner of his eye, his smile widened when he saw Kreacher pop in behind her before he sniffed at the broth she was making and frowned, scowling behind the woman's back.

Harry didn't need to know how to read minds to know Kreacher was displeased with what she was going to serve his master, but not just because it was made by a woman obsessed with controlling everyone and everything.

_Something_ was wrong with it.

While he only partially-listened to the war of words exchanged between Molly and Sirius, Harry cupped his hand around his mouth, namely so Hermione couldn't see him, as he whispered, "Get _rid_ of it, Kreacher; from now on, you make all our food and, if you need help, just ask. I've been told I'm quite a good cook when I want to be."

Kreacher actually bowed before he vanished, leaving Harry amused and interested, as well as on edge.

What was wrong with that food?

Why would someone make food for him and his friends that might be wrong to consume?

And why, for all that was holy, why wouldn't anyone except Ron, the Twins, Ginny and Sirius get the message that Harry was free to live his life as he wished?

_**Speechless**_

As he brought himself back to the conversation, Harry heard Molly go on, "It's bad enough you had Professor Dumbledore set up in this disgusting place, but to have it left in such a state: how else could I make sure my children were safe here? And now, that's more important because Harry is here, so, if there's been a theft, then Hermione is right and Harry should return her books."

"Even though they're _not_ hers?" asked Harry, earning an alarmed look from Molly while Harry told her, "Sirius' house, Sirius' books."

"Harry-dear, pass me your…" Molly began, but, as she went to turn to the stove behind her, Harry smiled like the Cheshire Cat while the Twins sniggered under their breaths when they saw Molly's face whiten in shock.

At the same time, Sirius' eyes narrowed while, next to Harry, Remus also frowned – though only Harry heard what could have been described as a warning growl escape his lupine friend – as he asked, "Is something the matter, Molly?"

"Where's the soup I made for Harry?"

"And the rest of us," added Tonks, earning a faint smile from Harry, though there was a part of him that had to wonder why the woman was even there to begin with; true, she was a willing sight and, he admitted it, she added a touch of beauty and glamour to the table, but, with Mad-Eye circling behind him, as well as that magical eye of his, why would anyone else be needed?

"What?" asked Molly, returning Harry's attention to the moment.

"You said that soup was for Harry, but this is meant to be dinner for the rest of us," said Tonks, earning a blanched look from Molly while, to Harry's surprise, Sirius sent Tonks a nod of confirmation, if not agreement, before the dark-haired witch's hair suddenly turned an unusual shade of darkest orange, similar to the colour of marmalade, as she asked, "Unless there's a reason you're _specifically_ making it for Harry, Molly?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Nymphadora."

"Don't call me/her Nymphadora," chorused Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Tonks, though not before the young lady's hair turned an angry shade of red, even as Harry picked up the conversation.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway; at my instruction, as his Master, or so he says, Kreacher's going to be making the meals for us and, don't worry, guys, he's promised to make it a feast fit for kings and princes. I just wish I could track down Dobby and see if he would like to help Kreacher turn this house into a home for Sirius and me."

"But that's slavery!"

"No, that's magic, not _spew_ing nonsense," drawled Harry, looking to Hedwig before he lifted his arm, letting his owl take up a place on a perch right _behind_ Hermione, who suddenly went white with fear and worry when she felt Hedwig preening her hair with her _talons._

It was almost like the owl was saying; _try something against my master now, bitch; I dare you!_

Harry, meanwhile, cleared his throat as he asked, "Kreacher, would you mind…"

Before he could finish, Harry smiled when three large serving dishes filled to the brim with sausages, mashed potatoes and freshly-steamed, mixed vegetables appeared on the table, as well as a large gravy boat filled with the aforementioned condiment and even a small pile of bread rolls and Yorkshire puddings.

"Wow, how'd he know I love sausages and mash?" wondered Harry, serving himself a plateful, as did Ron, the Twins, Ginny, Tonks, Sirius and Remus, though not before the latter let out that low warning growl of his as he looked to Molly.

"What I'm thinking _better not_ be what was going to happen, Molly," argued Remus, looking back to his cub before he sighed softly as he asked, "So, I suppose there are some things you want to talk about, eh, Harry?"

"Some," agreed Harry, indicating his _real_ friends as he explained, "The boys gave me a bit of a cliff notes version, but there's a lot I still don't understand; like, what's this trial all about?"

"It's very, _very_ peculiar, more than anything else," said Arthur, putting his own two Knuts into the conversation as he explained, "According to what we heard, it seems that your hearing at the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizengamot; that's usually something they reserve for war crimes and cases of extreme Dark Magic."

"Yeah, but it's no secret that Fudge has gone from idolising Harry to hating him," argued Ron, ducking as Molly aimed a ladle at his head, as though seeking to shut him up, if not make sure he didn't talk with his mouth full of food.

Unfortunately, Harry had noticed, "I don't understand, what's the Ministry of Magic got against me?"

If ever there was a mood-killer, it was that: as Harry looked around the room, he saw his friends shifting awkwardly while, not to Harry's surprise, Sirius seemed to be eagerly waiting for someone to say or do something, which Moody seemed to take the role of as he growled, "Show him. He'll find out soon enough."

Taking the ex-Auror's word as the consent, Tonks handed Harry a copy of the Daily Prophet, the sight of which made Harry's eyes widen when he saw a full-sized photo of him, which was set underneath a magically-shifting headline that went from _The Boy-Who-Lived_ to _The-Boy-Who-LIES?_

Fuming at the sight of the mocking reference to the title he'd never asked for, Harry was only calmed by Sirius and Remus, both of whom put hands on his left and right shoulders, even as Remus reassured Harry, "It's not just you: he's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet, to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."

"Why?"

"Because the Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job."

"But that's insane!" laughed Harry, throwing the paper onto the table, which _accidentally_ landed in the gravy boat, earning a snigger from the Twins while Hermione hurried to fish the paper out, even as Harry went on. "No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore…"

"Exactly the point; Fudge isn't in his right mind," agreed Remus, though he, like Sirius, had a smile of his own on his face at Harry's antics, even as he filled in the blank for Harry's sake. "It's been twisted and warped by fear. You see, cub, as you may know from certain situations at this table…"

"Meaning me, Remus, just say it," said Sirius, running a hand through his dark hair before he continued for Remus, "As he was not-so-subtly saying, pup, fear makes people do terrible things and the last time Voldemort gained power, he almost destroyed everything we hold most-dear…a statement that couldn't be any less true for Moony and me."

As Harry heard Remus' old nickname, he also laughed when he heard Fred and George's cutlery hit the table.

Glancing to the Twins, Harry nodded once as he told them, "Moony and Padfoot…oh, and I'm the son of Prongs…but we can talk about you guys trying to steal my legacy later; what were you saying, Remus?"

Chuckling at Harry's cavalier remark, especially judging by the looks of dumbfounded shock on the faces of the Twins, Remus tousled his boy's hair softly as he went on, "We're saying that, now he's returned, many of us are afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth. You see, Fudge didn't get in for his strong will or clever thinking: he rose to power because of support from what you might call the Dark Faction, many of whom hold the same sway over the Prophet."

"Why do I sense the name Lucius Malfoy is about to come up?" asked Harry, earning a dark glare from Sirius and Tonks, who even went darker-red in her hair, as though the name was a truly-hated one by her.

"You'd be right," agreed Sirius, helping himself to more sausages before he went on, "You see, Harry, it's the belief of many of what you'd call the Light Faction that…well, we think Voldemort wants to build up his army again."

"You _do_ surprise me," drawled Harry, earning a shushing gesture from Hermione, who _barely_ managed to avoid Hedwig's talons as she tried to silence Harry, even as everyone else's attention was now focused on Sirius as he went on.

"I know you know what he's like, Harry, but you see, fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command: not just your common, pure-blood supporting witches and wizards either. He had all sorts of dark creatures and forces on his side, including a monster named Fenrir Greyback, who is responsible for Remus being who and what he is."

A gasp of shock escaped Ron and Ginny as they heard this, while Harry clutched his honorary uncle's hand in a supportive manner as Sirius cleared his throat before he went on, "And, since his comeback, we've had some…_assuring_ evidence that suggests he's been recruiting heavily, so we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in…which makes us just as interested because, you see, we believe Voldemort may be after something else."

"Sirius!" insisted Moody, who suddenly gave Harry the answer to why he was there.

To keep the facts from anyone _not_ in the Order, not that Sirius was listening, even as he told Harry, "Something he didn't have last time."

Realisation dawned on Harry, "You mean, a weapon?"

As Sirius went to answer, however, he was cut off by a loud slamming sound from the other end of the table; to Harry's disbelief, Molly had moved from her seat to put herself between Harry and Sirius as she insisted, "No! That's enough! He's just a _boy!_ You tell him much more and you might as well induct him in the Order straight away!"

"And, I'm sure even Hermione and you would agree, Molly, that if anyone has a right to know, it's Harry," retorted Sirius, earning nods of agreement from Ron, the Twins, Ginny, Remus and even Arthur and Tonks, but Hermione was actually _shaking_ her head, even as Sirius continued, "I mean, let's not forget, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even know Voldemort was back and, after everything he's faced and all he's had to put up with, inside and outside Hogwarts, I say with absolute certainty that he's more than experienced _and_ ready to do it: he's not a child, Molly!"

"Was I _ever?_" muttered Harry, earning a gentle pat on the back from Remus.

Molly, on the other hand, had to have the last word, "He's not an adult either…for Merlin's sake, he's not _James,_ Sirius!"

"Can you tell Snape that?" asked Harry, ignoring Hermione's expected outburst of correcting him by saying it was _Professor_ Snape.

Molly, meanwhile, looked down at Harry as she remarked, "Now, Harry, don't interfere: you're too young and you don't understand…"

"Excuse me, do you mind _not_ talking to my godson like he's one of _your_ kids?" asked Sirius, earning a red-faced glare from Molly as he told her, "I am _more_ than sure you've heard this a few times, Molly; well, now hear it from _me:_ he is _not_ your son and you're not his Mother."

"Well, I'm the only one he has right now: after all, who else has he got?" asked Molly, earning a horrified look from Harry that was only mirrored by Tonks' hair turning fear-white while Fred, George, Ron and Ginny actually moved further down the table as they saw Harry's hand tremble.

The hand that was holding the knife he'd been using to cut up his sausages at that.

"And besides, you're not exactly an expert on…"

"Shut up."

Suddenly, even Sirius realised the danger signs were there as he looked to his godson, only to see Harry's eyes were closed, his hands trembling while his closed eyelids did very little to hide the tears he threatened to shed.

Molly, meanwhile, looked down her nose at Harry, _literally,_ as she insisted, "Don't you tell me to shut up, young man!"

"Okay then…how about shut the fuck up, you delusional redheaded bitch?"

Molly's hand came down…

And Sirius _and_ Remus' both came up, grabbing both Molly's hands before Remus shoved the redhead _hard_ against the wall, even as Harry rose from his seat before he turned to Molly as he told her, "You are _not_ my Mother!"

"I'm as good as…"

"No, you're not," said Harry, unaware of the nervous looks being shared by his friends at the fact that he wasn't even shouting. "And you _never_ will be, and do you know why? Because my Mother, who _did_ have red hair and that's _all_ you have in common with her; my Mother was the bravest, strongest, most-pure-of-heart witch I never even knew. Unlike you, she didn't wrap her kids in cotton wool and expect them to bleat like the sheep she'd made them look like. No…she not only shielded me, she also _willingly_ sacrificed her own life for her son, even though she _knew_ Voldemort would kill her, she did it anyway."

"Don't say the name!"

"Voldemort," replied Harry, earning a violent flinch from Molly as he went on, "Killed my Mother, but, like you, and like _everyone_ else in this stupid, fucked-up world…"

"Harry, language!"

"Hermione, don't talk, you'll lower the IQ of the whole city!" growled Harry, earning titters from the Twins while Harry kept his attention on Molly as he went on, "As I was saying, like everyone else, you and Voldemort both fail to understand what that sacrifice not only _did_ to me, but what it means. It means she was willing to sacrifice everything, even her soul, to protect her only child and _that_ is something nobody can replace; not Sirius, not Dumbledore, not Remus, not those damn demented Dursleys and _definitely_ not some low-brow, self-centred, control freak of an egomaniac with a dominance fetish like _you!_"

"HARRY JAMES…"

"_Oscausi._"

Even Sirius was surprised at how quickly Harry reacted, even as Molly shouted at a level that was, quite possibly, louder than she'd ever shouted before, even in one of those Howlers of hers.

As the woman's lips were fused shut, Harry clenched his hand tightly around his new wand as he explained, "I might not have been reading them by torchlight like that little thief over there, but I saw just enough of the books before dinner to find this interesting little hex. So, consider this a warning to _all of you!_"

He actually glared at Moody with a fire in his eyes that, as soon as he saw it, even the ex-Auror had to respect and admire, as he told them, "You say I can't learn your sad little group therapy secrets? Fine, I won't: if Dumbledore's the Light and Voldemort's the Dark, consider me the Grey. As of this moment, I declare myself an independent faction and, as the _leader_ of this faction, even if only unofficially, I say this…"

Rounding on Hermione, even as Sirius and Remus kept Molly at bay, Harry pointed his wand at the brunette, who gasped suddenly when she recognised it as the wand she'd tried – and failed, _miserably_ – to use to practice the magic she'd read about, before he growled like the man-beast behind him.

"Don't get in my way…if you're with me, you're with _me!_ Not that old coot, not this banshee bitch and _definitely_ not your own ego; so choose and be sure it's the right one because, unlike last year with my brother-in-all-but-blood, I will _not_ forgive betrayal a second time."

"Harry James…"

"_Oscausi,_" repeated Harry, casting the same spell on Hermione, which silenced her, even as Harry sighed before he asked, "Honestly, is my full name some sort of unknown spell designed to make me bark on command because you pull the chain?"

Keeping his wand firmly in hand, Harry held up his hand, summoning Hedwig without needing to say anything, before he told Sirius, "I'm going back to my room: it seems I've got some learning to do and a trial to get ready for…please don't disturb me, Sirius."

"Never, son," said Sirius, earning a thankful, if not _slightly_-tearful smile from Harry as he walked out of the dining room.

As the other Weasleys, sans Arthur, made to follow, however, Molly let out a shrieking gasp, though not before Fred and George scoffed as the lesser told Molly, "Sorry, Mum, but like him, _we're_ not kids anymore either."

"And Ginny and I owe him _far_ too much to abandon him now," added Ron, earning a firm nod from Ginny.

When Molly looked to her husband, muffled-shrieking at him to do something, Arthur just smiled sadly before he told them, "Be careful, kids."

Ginny only moved back to hug her Daddy, acknowledging his words as approval to stand with their honorary brother.

Even if it meant, like him, they said goodbye to their childhood forever.

**Chapter 3 and it looks like battle lines have been well-and-truly drawn, but can the now-forming Grey Faction really stand against the raging tide that threatens to drown them and all they know and love?**

**Also, with the wolves at the door – and I don't mean Remus – waiting to sink their fangs in and claim them, can our heroes find their own strengths and survive against comers from all sides, even within?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: The Grey Faction gains a new member, but not before Harry makes damn well sure their intentions are pure: also, Ron makes a suggestion that sounds like more than just a hope for the future: it also gives Harry the means to make his leader's post an official one among his friends, not that it isn't already so with them;**

**Please Read and Review**


	4. The Fourth Faction

All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless

**Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friend Winged Seer Wolf for helping to inspire me: my recommended reads are _Reclaiming the House of Black_ by Fairywm, _Aspirations_ by megamatt09, _Harry Potter and The Power He Knows Not Book 1 The Reluctant Champion_ by ACI100, _Dark Prince Rises_ by Ronin2106, _Who Dares Wins_ by OlegGunnarsson, _Dark Lord Potter Part 1 _by The Santi, _Breaking Point_ by Darth Wartriarr, _Harry Potter And The Summer Of Change_ by lorddwar, _His Loyal Pet_ and _To Date a Metamorph_ by Just a Lonely Lorekeeper, _Behind Blue Eyes_ by elmembrila, _Harry Potter and the Daft Morons_ by Sinyk, _Partners?_ By ReluctantSidekick and _Harry Potter and the Grim Heritage_ by shinobikarasu

**Key Pairing: **Harry/Tonks; Neville/Ginny; Ron/Luna

**Other Pairings: **To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Millie072: Rest assured, the backlash is coming**

**JustBored21: Hope you like this little aftermath chapter**

**Alix33: Thanks: I saw it in the Fantastic Beasts movie and it became my 'go-to' spell for dealing with nuisances**

**Chaos Snow Kitsune: Thanks…and apologies for any fears you might have had that I'd given up on this: problems and emotional backlashes from all the BS I kept getting with my other stories put me in a bad spot**

**Winged Seer Wolf: I've never actually seen the Peverell one used in the trial before, so it's an interesting option to consider**

**ArlyssTolero: Wow, thanks, old friend: hope you like what else is coming**

_"You say I can't learn your sad little group therapy secrets? Fine, I won't: if Dumbledore's the Light and Voldemort's the Dark, consider me the Grey. As of this moment, I declare myself an independent faction and, as the __leader__ of this faction, even if only unofficially, I say this…Don't get in my way…if you're with me, you're with __me!__ Not that old coot, not this banshee bitch and __definitely__ not your own ego; so choose and be sure it's the right one because, unlike last year with my brother-in-all-but-blood, I will __not__ forgive betrayal a second time."_

Chapter 4: The Fourth Faction

With Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George having left the room, Sirius moved to close the door, making sure nobody else could get away before he turned to face the table, his eyes darker than dark while his expression was anything but jolly or the happy-go-lucky Marauder he once was as he cleared his throat before he addressed the room.

"All right, first things first: Molly and Hermione, I'm going to leave Harry's hex in place for now, because I'd _actually_ like to get a word in edgewise, but, to the rest of you, listen up because I am only going to say this once."

Folding his arms with a confident, proud air, even as he drew himself to his full height, Sirius continued making his point, "If I discover _any_ books, artefacts or family heirlooms have been removed from this house _without_ my consent…_yes,_ Molly, _my_ consent!"

He made sure to emphasise the point as Molly's muffled squeals filled the room, though, without her mouth, she was just annoying, instead of Banshee-level deafening, as Sirius went on, "_I_ am the Master of this House, whether my name has been cleared or _not!_ Not Albus, not _you,_ Molly and definitely not _you,_ Hermione: the fact you were actually stupid enough to steal from _my_ family makes me regret calling you what I did two years ago, but, clearly, your loyalty was only ever to yourself or to Albus and his delusions."

As Sirius laid out the crimes and insinuations for all to hear, Hermione was turning a whole new shade of red, though not before her skin paled as Sirius indicated Tonks and Moody before he added, "You should just be thankful that, as things stand right now, I don't much feel like making things worse: after all, we have an Auror in the room _and_ an ex-Auror, both of whom are no strangers to magical law. After all, you're a known supporter of the stupidly-named _Boy-Who-Lies,_ so I'm sure Azkaban will be more like Club Med compared to what the Ministry and the Death Eaters would put you through if we handed you over to Fudge and his cronies."

Hermione was visibly trembling as Sirius told her what he _could_ do, even as the Black Lord cleared his throat before he added, "However, the only reason I am _not_ going to do that is because I know for a fact you'd only use this as a chance to paint my boy in a far worse light than Albus has already done. So, instead, I'm saying this: from this day forwards, you, Hermione Granger, are _forbidden_ from entering the Black Library and, if you or your magical signature is found in that room, you will be left to the mercy of the Black Family Magic to decide your punishment."

"And, remember, this is the _Black_ Family Magic we're talking about, _Granger,_" sneered Tonks, her eyes almost-turning serpentine-like, as though emphasising the sinister, smug air she had as she went on, "So punishment from this family _won't_ be something silly like demerits and writing lines: in fact, you'll be lucky to be able to touch a book again once our family's done with you."

Judging by the thud that filled the room, Hermione seemed to have gotten the message, if not fainted from terror and the fact she was now barred from the books she craved so much.

Sirius, meanwhile, remained stone-faced as he looked from the unconscious Muggle-born to the alarmed, red-faced Molly as he added, "This brings me to my second bit of important business, Molly: your _cleaning_ stops here and now. Thanks to my pup, something tells me we've got all the cleaning support we need and, if my guess is right, I'd assume Kreacher is going to make this dark spot seem like a king's palace just to make my boy feel at home. And, like Granger, I warn you now: if I find anything missing or _safely secured_ or _disposed of_ by your wishes, I'm taking the cost right out of what little is left in the Prewett _and_ Weasley vaults…and before you say I can't do that, you should remember that, technically, your families, meaning both Prewett _and_ Weasley, as well as mine still share common ancestries…so, be warned."

As though she was slowly realising how little control she was having over the conversation, and, by extension, the task given to her by Dumbledore himself, Molly's face was turning as red as her hair, if not even redder than that, even as Sirius looked to the rest of the room as he went on, "And finally, this is a message to the rest of you, as this concerns my boy and, Alastor, I _strongly_ advise you to let the rest of the Order know about this too. From now on, any _shop talk_ is _not_ to have my boy's name dropped into it: he is a _teenager_ and deserves to decide what he does by himself, not to mention getting a chance to be with friends. So, from now on, he is off-limits…and that goes _infinite-tuple_ for Albus and whatever plots, thoughts, wishes and security rotas he claims to have come up with for Voldemort and whatever it is he's after in the Ministry."

"I…I'll pass on the message."

"Good," said Sirius, heaving a sigh before he added, "Because, while getting you lot out of here _might_ leave me exposed and you lot thinking you can use that against me, just remember this much…"

Here, he jabbed a thumb behind him as he added, "My godson is _no longer_ a mewling quim of a child, but, thanks to Albus and his screwups last year, he is now an _adult,_ which also means the only one who is responsible for him is Harry James Potter himself…"

Then, to Remus' surprise, Sirius' eyes sparkled with a glimmer of Marauder-worthy amusement and slyness as he smiled wolfishly before he added to his already-final point.

"Sorry, I should say the only one responsible for him is Harry James Potter-_Black_ himself!"

_**Speechless**_

"Hey."

After what seemed like a long time of silence and contemplation between all involved, Harry looked up from his thoughts, and his position of sitting with one knee curled against his chest as he sat at the foot of his bed, to see Ron watching him curiously, but also with slight concern, as the redhead asked, "Are you okay? You've been a bit quiet since we left the kitchen."

"Sorry, mate," said Harry, letting out a long, slow sigh before he added, "And sorry we had to leave dinner so early…hang on…Kreacher?"

As if on cue, the apparently-reformed elf appeared, bowing to Harry as he asked, "Yes, Master Harry?"

"Can you provide some snacks for my friends and I up here? We had to leave the kitchen rather-hurriedly…also, before you go, I have a question for you, if you can spare a moment?"

"Kreacher is here to obey Master Harry's call whenever you need it, Sir," replied Kreacher, earning a dumbfounded look from the Weasleys while Harry smirked as he was suddenly reminded of the very reason he was going to speak to Kreacher in the first place.

"Well, I don't mean any offence asking this, Kreacher, but I was wondering if you would like some help keeping the house in order? I happen to know two elves, one of whom would probably _kill_ to be useful to me and the other one whom needs a steady hand and a calm, if not generous master to help keep her spirits up."

"Kreacher would welcome any help coming from Master Harry," answered the elf, earning a nod from Harry.

"That's what I thought…hang on: Dobby!"

To Ron's amusement, the excitable elf he remembered Harry talking about before appeared so quickly and suddenly, he might as well have been eavesdropping from outside the door, though now, instead of an old pillowcase, he was dressed in a smart-looking robe with one sock on his foot, which Harry recognised as the same sock he'd sacrificed to help Dobby in the first place.

"Harry Potter!" gasped the elf, bowing low as he always did as he told Harry, "Dobby is so pleased to see you again, sir."

"And you, old friend," said Harry, earning a beaming look from Dobby that probably _could_ have lit up Times Square, even as Harry went on, "And thank you for answering my call so quickly too: I was wondering if you would like to come and work for me and my family?"

"Dobby already _does,_ sir," said the elf, earning a surprised look from Harry while even the Weasleys looked confused, while Dobby, seemingly-sensing his _master's_ query, quickly continued, "Dobby has served Harry Potter ever since Harry Potter saved Dobby from evil Not-Master Malfoy, sir. When Harry Potter instructed Dobby to never save his life again, Dobby's magic took that as a cue to merge his magical spirit with that of Harry Potter and his Family, sir. But Harry Potter did not have need to call on Dobby anytime soon, so Dobby took up residence at Hogwarts, where Dobby has made himself better, so that he might better serve and aid his friend and true master, Harry Potter."

"Wow," whispered Harry, remembering how Dobby had helped him the year before, though, at the time, he'd thought of it as nothing more than fate doing something right…or rather, he had done until it was revealed that the _other_ Moody was Crouch.

"So," continued Harry, swallowing down his curiosities as he asked, "If I asked you to come here and aid Kreacher in keeping the house in a liveable state, you'd do that for me, Dobby?"

"Dobby will do as Master Harry wishes of him, sir," replied Dobby, earning a faint smile from Harry.

"Also," added Harry, remembering the other point he'd wanted to make, as he asked, "Do you think you could find out where Winky is? I know she's a bit sad after what happened with Crouch, but, if she wants a master so badly, tell her she can come and work for me or my godfather, which will give her the magic she needs to stay strong and be useful to a wizard."

"Dobby will tell her, but Winky is…she is unwell due to her Master rejecting her so badly, Master Harry," admitted Dobby, though when Harry saw the worry in his friend's eyes, he couldn't help but smile.

"You care for her?"

"Very much so, sir."

"Then, as your…your _master,_" said Harry, his dislike for the title evident in his expression as he told Dobby, "I want you to help her be better: if you have to juggle your time here with your time helping her, do so, but don't go overboard, Dobby. Then, once Winky is well again, tell her about my offer and, if you _really_ want to, you can even care for her as more than just a friend."

Dobby's eyes widened to a point that made it so Harry wouldn't have been surprised to see them fall from his face as he asked, "Master Harry is blessing Dobby's hope to have Winky as his life-mate, sir?"

"Yes."

As soon as Dobby started jumping up and down in an excitable manner, Harry allowed himself a faint smile as he added, "You're welcome, Dobby: now go and make sure she's okay. But remember, you and her are to help Kreacher when you feel up to it, understand?"

"Yes sir, thank you, Master Harry Potter, Dobby is so glad to finally serve his Master Harry Potter, sir; thank you, thank you, thank you…"

"Dobby: _go!_" commanded Harry, though once Dobby was gone, and Kreacher had provided the group with some snacks for their chat, the young wizard couldn't help but laugh, earning more laughs from his friends as he looked to them before he asked, "He'll never change, will he?"

"No," laughed Ron.

"Though neither will _you,_ it seems," added Ginny, earning a shrug from Harry, while Ginny cleared her throat as she asked, "So, now we have some time to ourselves, what do you want to do first, Harry?"

"I want to be ready for this bullshit trial," said Harry, rising from the ground while the others helped themselves to snacks, as Harry went on, "If I know Fudge and Dumbledore, and I'm sorry to say I _do,_ they'll spent the whole thing talking it out and arguing about one another's opinions. I wouldn't even put it past that self-centred old wanker to make a Voldemort reference, just to throw Fudge off his game, while they both ignore me because, like Granger and Molly, they prefer to think of me as _just a boy._"

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Ron.

"I'm going to find a way to make sure they hear _me_ and not just each other in their pissing contest," said Harry, earning a few titters from his friends, even as Harry scowled as he added, "I just wish I knew a way to do that."

"Maybe _I_ can offer some advice," suggested Tonks, startling the others as she walked into the bedroom, though not before sending an amused, if not flirtatious wink in Harry's direction as she smiled coyly at him.

"Nymphadora, and don't call me that, Tonks, reporting for duty with the wish of siding with the Grey, Lord Potter-Black, _sir!_"

Even with all the confusion he felt, Harry couldn't resist laughing along with the Weasleys when Tonks actually saluted him, like a soldier reporting to her superior, as she delivered her reason for being there in the first place.

Though not before Harry scoffed as he told her, "No, don't do that, Miss Tonks…I'm not Dumbledore or Voldemort, so _please_ don't salute."

"Aye-aye, Captain," laughed Tonks as she saluted again, earning a groan from Harry.

"I _had_ to declare myself the one to form this new faction, didn't I?"

**Chapter 4 and it looks like Harry's only just starting to realise what a headache being the boss is, but how can Tonks help him out when she's meant to be part of Dumbledore's Therapy Sessions?**

**Also, will our hero – or is it anti-hero now? Hmm – be able to defy both Fudge **_**and**_** Dumbledore and take over their pissing contest long enough to show them he means business?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out**

**Next Chapter: The battle lines have been drawn and now Harry must find a way to ensure he doesn't just retake control of his life...but he _keeps_ it! Well, Harry, I suppose it's a good thing you've got someone trained in law and inside the Ministry on your side, isn't it?**

**Please Read and Review**


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